Like Friends and Partners
by Monisse
Summary: It was not often that she hit the bottom and broke like this, but when she did, it was even harder to surface. Brennan searches for comfort in her partner.


It's been a while since my last story, and here I bring another one shot. This one is short and sweet, about friendship turning into love. Insanely out of character.  
I hope you enjoy it, and as always, reviews are very appreciated!

**Disclaimer:** I Don't own the characters. In fact the only thing I own right now are endless amounts of chemistry reports to do.

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**Like Friends and Partners**

It was late at night and she sat motionless in the sofa, staring absently to an empty glass of red wine in her hands. Once in a while a lonely tear would break free from her azure eyes and roll over her pale face, being forgotten as soon as it landed on the side of the glass.  
Every single new day was harder to face and in the night, it was becoming unbearable to return home to an empty flat and empty bed.

Loneliness had been a majority in her life since her childhood, and even her best friend, because when there was no one around to protect her from the harder ships of the world, loneliness would provide the comfort of mind she required. But crying was never one of her weaknesses, and lately she couldn't do anything but, ever since her life turned abruptly once more.

She sniffed hard as her hand brushed clean the new flow of tears at the corner of her eyes. It was not often that she hit the bottom and broke like this, but when she did it was even harder to surface.

A knock on the door made her alert of the surroundings again, and she found herself wondering who could be at her door at this late in the night.  
Placing the glass on the coffee table she let her bare feet touch the unwelcoming cold wood floor and guide her towards the door.

She turned the door knob without much effort to reveal a smiling man in the other side.

"Hi Bones!" He smiled brightly, and even though she didn't welcome him into her apartment he walked inside anyway, closing the door behind his back.

She just rolled her eyes in exasperation, like always, and in defeat rounded the sofa and sat in her previous position.

"What are you doing here? I'm in no mood to work_._" Incredibly, work was the last thing on her mind tonight.

"Hey, me neither. But can't a man visit his partner?" He slowly walked to her side and let his weight fall in the other side of the sofa.

She sighed tiredly and closed her eyes for a while. It was becoming harder to think when he was around, and with a steady breathing she tried to calm her racing heart.

"I don't need a partner right now, Booth."

"And… what do you need? I promise I'll do my best to provide it!" There it was, that arrogant smile on his face, the very own that seemed to ignite her sincere smile, one smile that she only wore for him.

"I want to talk to you… as a friend." Because after all, he was her friend, her best friend even. She knew the trust in him was greater than any other emotion she had experienced before in her life. It was a warm feeling that invaded her once in a while, when looking into his eyes and knowing she could confide in him for nearly everything.

"Of course, Bones. I'm right here." And this time the smile had faded into a warm and inviting one.

She looked directly into his eyes with a stern face, it was imperative to let him know this was a serious matter for her.  
"I'm serious; I need you now as a friend who won't criticize me_._" Her hands played nervously with the sleeves of her warm sweater.

"I understand. Talk to me then, I'll be your friend tonight."

"I broke up with Sully…" A sigh escaped her lips.

"Again?_" _He laughed with sarcasm_ – "_That would make the third time after he was back. You're on fire, Bones!"

"Booth! I said, no judging!" Her eyes grew wide. It already hurt too much to be opening her heart to her best friend and the least she needed was to be judged on her actions.

He looked into her eyes and saw there the unsure little girl she once was.

"I'm sorry you had to break up with him." His voice, now calm and even, soothed the worry lines in her face.

"I'm not…" It was her turn to laugh, and as soon as she started she couldn't help but laugh harder until fresh tears were forming at the corner of her sligthly open eyes.

"How come?"

"I've been searching in him and in all of the other man something they didn't have. I dated intelligent man to satisfy my desire to learn, to match my intelligence_._"

"That makes sense…" He offered sincerely.

"Then I dated man for only their looks because they could fulfill my biological urges."

Her eyes burned with the knowledge she only had, one she was trying to express in the most genuine words she got. To her, it all made incredibly sense right now. He only listened.

"But something is wrong with me. Terribly wrong."

"What is it?"

"I couldn't… I didn't…_" _She struggled with the words, and for such a well spoken woman like herself, expressing her thoughts on emotions had always been an unpleasant task.

"What?" His nerves were trembling uncontrollably under her distress.

"I didn't feel anything. I couldn't feel desire when we were…"

"Oh Bones, I don't need to know that!" He immediately got up from the sofa and distanced himself from her and her conversation on the topic he always felt timid about. Not that he was puritan about it, but the mixture of her and the subject turned in his head and often didn't allow him to sleep in peace at night.

"Booth, you promised as my friend. Sit here, right now!"

A sigh crossed his lips for he knew that fighting with her never brought a nice ending for his side of the battle.  
"All right." He murmured in defeat.

"I felt empty, Booth… so hollow inside, so deprived of emotions. And in the end, I felt shame and pity for myself."

"It happens sometimes, especially when…" A knot in his throat tightened and he gulped harshly as his mind, silently, finished the sentence for him - '_You don't love them_.'

"When..?" She wanted to know why, desperately. In spite of the pleading in her bright eyes he didn't go any further with explanations.

"Never mind, go on."

She got up from the sofa in order to think clearly. Her feet paced around the room in front of him, her eyes playing around in the near darkness over the many artifacts she had displayed, never looking into his eyes.

"I can't stop thinking about the men who has it all._" _She voiced_ – "_The one who is intelligent in different ways than I am, the one who is egocentrically handsome, that drives me insane just by his presence in the room, which makes my heart race in many ways…"

"I see…" His eyes never left her absent strolling around.

She stopped quickly, and turned in his direction just to find him still sitting comfortably in her sofa, like he always belonged there. The laughter started in her throat and in a while it was already leaving her lips, humoring her eyes.

"What's wrong with me is that I kept screaming his name when I was with other men, he fills my thoughts day and night, it's so insane and persistent that the rational thoughts can't compete with the powerfulness of what he makes me feel."

"I don't know what to say…" His voice felt sad in her ears.

"He's everything to me and still, I can't have him."

"Why can't you have him?" It was barely a whisper.

"There are too many issues at stake. Losing him is not a possibility in my life." The blue in her eyes was brighter than ever before with a sadness that spilled from her soul into his own.

She sighed heavily.

"Besides… he's my partner_._"

"Bones!" He jumped from his position and hastily crossed the remaining space between them and came to a halt right in front of her. The smile he was wearing now was so vast that it reached his brown eyes and warmed her inside.

"Booth, you're not helping, I need you as a friend here!" She laughed a little at his behavior. His actions always amazed her with the innocent sort of way that he displayed them, he always seemed careless of the world's judgments and lived his life to the fullest, something she envied deep inside.

"Did you tell him that?" His smile grew even more, turning into a cocky grin.

"I can't, I mean, I don't know if he feels the same." She lowered her head, her eyes averting from his.

One of his hands settled in her face bringing it up and fully to lock with his eyes.

"You'll never know until you ask."

There was a promise in his eyes, a promise of trust that she would have followed no matter what.

"Do you?" The words crossed her lips in a trembling whisper.

"With all my heart, Temperance. Since as long as I can remember."

Her face broke into a serene smile at his admission and her heart soared along his own.

"Do you still need your friend here?" A smile and her world spun again.

"No, I just need my partner…" And she leaned forward closing her eyes and the distance between their lips.

His arms encircled her body and she could fill the extent of his chest pressed against her and the feelings it brought were ones she never had before. She let herself go with the flow of emotions, remembering all that they had been through and how each time she held on to the most dearest of friends, now knowing that she needed more than that from him.

_The End_


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